Letters (Sept. 19)

Las Crucens should be proud of progress

The city of Las Cruces has made improvements during recent years; however, letters to the newspaper and "Sound-Off" tilt toward negativity. Most of us do tend to complain rather than praise.

I remind residents that Las Crucens have a right to be proud of our growing city's progress.

Our nation, our state and our city have been living through a recession that began with the stock market dive after September 11, 2001 while recovery was further set back in 2008. Remember bailouts, high unemployment and loss of trust in Wall Street?

Through such a turbulent period, and even though we are still looking for a more complete economic recovery, the city remains on a firm financial footing. To name just a few accomplishments: the city has initiated energy-saving policies in municipal buildings, La Clinica de Familia will move into the city building on Alameda to provide mental health care, the former City Hall has been sold, we are using curbside recycling and flood prevention measures are in place where there had been little or none before.

And that is not all. Projects such as the East Mesa Public Safety Complex, the Police and Fire Training Facility, completion of Fire Station No. 7 and renovations to city buildings including the Munson Senior Center, the Police Department and the Museum of Nature and Science are ongoing or nearing completion. Las Cruces is slowly coming back from overbuilt housing. The City Council has survived a recall against three councilors (an attack against voters' choice), and we will survive recent criminal acts.

From witnessing the work of the current mayor/council, it seems to be a group striving to view the city's needs as a whole and turning our city into a community whose atmosphere and amenities will draw new businesses and new residents.

Violet and Ronald Cauthon, Las Cruces

Many programs support fetal tissue research

The Hyde Amendment bans federal funding for abortion except in the most extreme circumstances. This amendment primarily effects women who receive Medicaid. In 2007, more than 7 million, or 12 percent, of all US women of reproductive age were enrolled in Medicaid. The current version of the Hyde Amendment allows federal funding in the case of rape, incest and when the woman's life is in danger. This is from the Guttmacher Policy Review.

Planned Parenthood is not using federal monies for abortions except where allowable by the above mentioned law.

The National Institute of Heath Revitalization Act of 1993, Public Law 103-43 governs the procurement, storage and transport of fetal tissue for medical research. Fetal tissue can only be obtained through informed consent donation by the patient. The medical research facility receiving the donated tissue can pay for the storage and transport of the tissue to their research facility.

It is not only Planned Parenthood but many hospitals, private and public as well as fertility clinics that have programs for the donation, storage and transport of fetal tissue to medical research facilities.

Polio and rubella vaccines were developed using fetal tissue.

One in three women will have an abortion before the age of 45. Half of those women are married. Eighty-nine percent of abortions take place by week 12 when the fetus is about one-half ounce, 33 percent before six weeks when the fetus is the size of a lentil.

Now tell me again about these ridiculously edited videos.

Anyone with a smart phone and a computer can edit any video to say just about anything they want it to say. Ask any tech-savvy teenager and they will show you how it is done.

My vote will be based on easily researched facts not political sound bites and inflammatory language.

Caroline Barr, Las Cruces

County code needed for us to move forward

The county needs a Consolidated Development Code to help the public and local businesses through the permitting and review process. Since the county does not have "real zoning" in most areas, it is often confusing and frustrating to determine what standards apply under the current performance overlay districts. The county already has several ordinances dealing with subdivisions, roads, drainage, PUDs, signage, etc. The merger of these standards will improve understanding for all parties and assist in the expediting of new business and jobs which are badly needed in the area. As an ex-economic developer and planner for over 35 years, I have first-hand experience in working on the necessary tools to provide the certainty needed to move the county ahead and help implement a new plan and streamlined ordinance.